efratti (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} efratti) wrote,@ 2006-07-02 21:33:00 |
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Pizza Panini: More than Just Pizza, or The Melodrama of my Washing Machine
Please forgive me in advance for one of the more mundane posts. However, there has, surprisingly, been a fair amount of interest in my washing machine saga. Enough interest that it is easier to post an entry and tell people, "Read my blog." And for those who know me from my college and Q St days, know that I can get pretty particular about doing my laundry. (I traveled to my parents house to do my laundry, rather than do it on campus or in my building.)
From the beginning...
Before moving into my new apartment, I knew that it was furnished minus a washing machine. The day before I moved I did one last load at Beit Canada. Great machines, no waiting if a non-Friday, and 12 NIS (~$2.71) for two loads. Ahhh, such fond memories of subsidized housing.
I didn't know what my laundry strategy would be, but I wanted to live in my place a bit and figure it out. The previous tenants sent their laundry out to one of the multiple services in our neighborhood. However, they were overseas students on essentially unlimited budgets. Two loads, returned folded, cost 90 NIS (~$20.33). OK for an emergency, but not a suitable ongoing strategy. I wanted to scope out the area for nearby self-service laundromats. One afternoon at work, the secretary went through the phone book with me. But, they were all full service only.
On Yom HaZikaron, a few hours before Yom HaAtsmaut, I hiked across town to the self-service laundromats. After 10 minutes of walking I passed one that was closed b.c of the upcoming festivities. Mentally noted the place and kept walking. (The whole area felt like Erev Yom Kippur, more about that in another overdue post.) After a 30 minute walk with a bubby cart and backpack stuffed with dirty clothes, I reached an open self-service laundromat. 15 NIS a load, and 5 NIS for 15 minutes of drying. Two loads partially dried cost 35 NIS (~$7.91). Not bad, but this was an afternoon-long project. And, it wasn't over when I came home, b.c I needed to hang my clothes in order to let them completely dry. However, the closer laundromat gave me hope.
Two weeks later I set out for the closer laundromat, only to discover that the "self-service" sign was outdated. The owner explained, "it's like self-service; you give me money and I wash, dry, and fold your clothes." He negotiated a slightly cheaper prices than the other services, but still not worth it. I kept walking with the bubby cart and hiking backpack towards the laundromats further across town. Of course a cab was out of the question. That would involve spending all the money saved, and would make a stronger case for using the laundry services in my neighborhood. How disappointing to be carrying all that "luggage" and not go to Thailand, just the laundromat. On this second outing, I made a laundry date with a friend (an EB of EB fame). We had a good afternoon, but I was realizing that this strategy was totally impractical. It was an afternoon-long project, would not work in the winter, and would be really unpleasant when it would become true summer. I was determined to acquire a washing machine before my clean clothes would run out a third time.
When I first moved into the apartment, I considered getting a washing machine. The apartment has a machine that has not been used for years, looks like it's from the British mandate, but conceivably from the Ottoman Empire. It's beyond repair and the landlady does not want to replace it. I went looking around at second hand stores to price their machines and tried to persuade the landlady to buy one. The cheapest machine I saw in the second-hand stories was 600 NIS ($135.53) and came with 3 month's guarantee. Moving would be another 50-100 NIS ($11.29-$22.60). She said that if I bought it, she might buy it from me when I move out. Big help.
I was reluctant to buy a machine, b.c I have no other appliances. My possessions are limited to my clothes, books, and other assorted items. A washing machine could be the difference between a moving van and truck when it's time to move out. In addition, the machine needs to fit in a 55 cm wide enclosed, concrete space on one of the porches. When I do move, I might have space for a larger machine and would not want to own such a small one. Finally, I am currently on a 3-month sublease. If the landlady were to increase the rent or if s.t else were to inspire me to move, I can move out no strings attached within 3 months. That's too tenative and unstable to purchase a major appliance. Without a year-long lease, I wanted to keep myself as flexible as possible. Basically, purchasing a washing machine to own was too much of a commitment for me.
After the second, cross-city hike to the self-service laundromat and a highly positive interaction with my landlady, I had an epiphany. I really wanted a new solution to my laundry, and in light of our positive interaction I would not be moving out of the apartment. Of course it's easier to stay and sign the 12 month lease, and she wants me to stay, too. She gave me the impression that she wanted to keep me (and my roommate as tenants), and from that I inferred that I had good leverage to negotiate her not raising the rent. In addition, she is relatively responsive and attentive; way better than many other landlords. Things are working out in this place, and I was ready to express my commitment to staying by purchasing a second-hand washing machine.
I started by searching Janglo, the Jerusalem-based Craig's list. Since it is an Anglo crowd, most machines being advertised were frontloading, not toploading, and too big for the concrete enclosure on our porch. However, I did find a 40 cm machine being advertised and went to go look at it on a Friday afternoon. After checking it out and finding it acceptable, I offered 350 NIS ($79.06) in order to outbid the previous potential buyer who offered 300 NIS ($67.77). The seller was moving apartments and the new one came with a machine. With her help, we arranged for her mover to move the machine out of her place and into mine. The three apartments, her old, her new, and mine, were all in the same general neighborhood. I gave her a 100 NIS deposit and we drew up a contract.
Even though the initiative was mine and I was doing all the legwork, my roommate and I agreed to split the cost down the middle. If the landlady would not buy our shares from us as we move out, she offered but did not promise, we could either buy each other out or just call it an expense. After our summer subletter moves out, we will tell the new roommate that she has to pay a third of the cost in order to gain use of the machine. This leaves the total cost per roommate at 166.67 NIS (~$37.65). A very reasonable sum considering the convenience of having a washing machine mere feet away.
On Monday the mover came three hours after anticipated, he was coming after her move was completed, with my machine. This was only the second time all year I missed tap class, and was the same week they announced our end of the year recital. (The first time I missed, I was in the US.) The mover was an older man who made aliyah >20 years ago and lived in Laurel when working at the NSA. Always nice to meet a lantzman :) He moved it in, adjusted the electricity, b.c the outlet was for a British and not Israeli machine, and installed the machine. All of this for the cost of 150 NIS (~$33.88), almost half of what the other mover said he would charge.
Title of this entry: Pizza Panini. When I heard that the mover was a single individual without moving buddies, I got nervous that he would not be able to bring the machine into my apartment. The seller of the machine had her BF and other male friends helping out, and I was not providing additional bodies. Also, he was going to come when her move ended, an uncertain time. Not only did I not have friends I could call on, I wouldn't even know what time to ask them to come over. One friend declined b.c he was worried about hurting his back, and I didn't know what to do :( A very smart friend suggested asking the pizza guys from across the street. I've already started befriending them and the head guy on duty said he would be happy to help.
In the end, the machine was small enough that the mover, myself and his dolly were all that was needed to get it to my second floor apartment. But, knowing that the pizza guy would be on call relieved me and made me feel really great. Not only do I have a pizza joint across the street, they are also friendly and neighborly enough to help move major appliances. Their new motto should be:
Pizza Panini: More than just pizza, we move major appliances, too.
A bit wordy, but more accurate about their services.
I relished in the new machine. We first gave it a trial run. The water came out black since it had been so long that those pipes were hooked up to anything... Then, I went wild! Two loads the next day, one in the morning before I left for work and one in the afternoon after I came back. My roommate went next, and then she wanted to do her second load. However, the machine broke in between her loads! Our glory was short-lived. The loads that the machine ran came out fine, but now it would not start anymore.
I called the seller, who had it for five years and never got it repaired. I asked her to come look at the machine; we needed to meet anyway so that I could pay her the balance of the sale.
She brought her BF who installed it for her and is something of a plumber. He could not figure it out, but could not eliminate the electricity as the problem b.c of the weird, British plug/outlet. He would come back the next day to test the electricity. If that was not the problem, we would call a repairperson and she offered to take that expense off the cost of the sale.
Later that same evening a friend came by and offered to check out the machine. He inspected it and guessed that the latch where the exterior door closes was jammed and was not detecting the door as closed. If it thinks the door is not there, the machine won't run. He fixed it and I was elated. I promised that we would be friends for a very long time. (Alas, we don't actually talk anymore; apparently, it takes more than a common interest in a washing machine to sustain some friendships.)
After another successful set of loads, I called the seller back, telling her that the machine was consistently working and that I would pay her the balance of the sale price. We set a time to meet, I paid her, and the machine stopped working the next day :( For a machine that never broke in five years, we were having a whole lot of trouble. My friend came back, and said that he would return the next day to verify the electricity. The electricity tested as fine and he could not fix it this time. (I did not hold it against him.) I called the seller and told her not to spend the sale money since we were calling a repair guy.
In the end, it was the same problem all along. The sensor was not detecting the door as closed. The manual fix my friend did was temporary and the repair guy crossed the wires so now the machine is fooled into thinking that the door is always closed. The door has been sitting on top of the enclosed concrete spot that houses the machines since it arrived. (There are two interior doors that close in addition to this exterior one.) Cost: 160 NIS (~$36.15) for 10 minutes of repair work that required no real tools. But, he was also the only one who could fix it.
Since then, the machine has been working with no problems. I met the seller, and she repaid us the 160 NIS.
Conclusions:
**This seller is really a wonderful person. It was a private sale with no guarantee, but she was very ethical and honest in her dealings with us. She really went beyond the call of duty.
**Having a friend who can fix things, like washing machines, broken light switches, etc. is great.
**Owning a washing machine has drastically improved the quality of my life. I no longer have to calculate my clothes, waiting for the dirty pile to grow in order to earn the day trip to the laundromat. I also don't have to buy emergency clothes b.c I can't coordinate my trip to the laundromat precisely enough with the depletion of my clean clothes.
**Finally, the guys at Pizza Panini totally rock. Where else can you find pizza guys who are happy to help a neighbor move a washing machine?
Please forgive me in advance for one of the more mundane posts. However, there has, surprisingly, been a fair amount of interest in my washing machine saga. Enough interest that it is easier to post an entry and tell people, "Read my blog." And for those who know me from my college and Q St days, know that I can get pretty particular about doing my laundry. (I traveled to my parents house to do my laundry, rather than do it on campus or in my building.)
From the beginning...
Before moving into my new apartment, I knew that it was furnished minus a washing machine. The day before I moved I did one last load at Beit Canada. Great machines, no waiting if a non-Friday, and 12 NIS (~$2.71) for two loads. Ahhh, such fond memories of subsidized housing.
I didn't know what my laundry strategy would be, but I wanted to live in my place a bit and figure it out. The previous tenants sent their laundry out to one of the multiple services in our neighborhood. However, they were overseas students on essentially unlimited budgets. Two loads, returned folded, cost 90 NIS (~$20.33). OK for an emergency, but not a suitable ongoing strategy. I wanted to scope out the area for nearby self-service laundromats. One afternoon at work, the secretary went through the phone book with me. But, they were all full service only.
On Yom HaZikaron, a few hours before Yom HaAtsmaut, I hiked across town to the self-service laundromats. After 10 minutes of walking I passed one that was closed b.c of the upcoming festivities. Mentally noted the place and kept walking. (The whole area felt like Erev Yom Kippur, more about that in another overdue post.) After a 30 minute walk with a bubby cart and backpack stuffed with dirty clothes, I reached an open self-service laundromat. 15 NIS a load, and 5 NIS for 15 minutes of drying. Two loads partially dried cost 35 NIS (~$7.91). Not bad, but this was an afternoon-long project. And, it wasn't over when I came home, b.c I needed to hang my clothes in order to let them completely dry. However, the closer laundromat gave me hope.
Two weeks later I set out for the closer laundromat, only to discover that the "self-service" sign was outdated. The owner explained, "it's like self-service; you give me money and I wash, dry, and fold your clothes." He negotiated a slightly cheaper prices than the other services, but still not worth it. I kept walking with the bubby cart and hiking backpack towards the laundromats further across town. Of course a cab was out of the question. That would involve spending all the money saved, and would make a stronger case for using the laundry services in my neighborhood. How disappointing to be carrying all that "luggage" and not go to Thailand, just the laundromat. On this second outing, I made a laundry date with a friend (an EB of EB fame). We had a good afternoon, but I was realizing that this strategy was totally impractical. It was an afternoon-long project, would not work in the winter, and would be really unpleasant when it would become true summer. I was determined to acquire a washing machine before my clean clothes would run out a third time.
When I first moved into the apartment, I considered getting a washing machine. The apartment has a machine that has not been used for years, looks like it's from the British mandate, but conceivably from the Ottoman Empire. It's beyond repair and the landlady does not want to replace it. I went looking around at second hand stores to price their machines and tried to persuade the landlady to buy one. The cheapest machine I saw in the second-hand stories was 600 NIS ($135.53) and came with 3 month's guarantee. Moving would be another 50-100 NIS ($11.29-$22.60). She said that if I bought it, she might buy it from me when I move out. Big help.
I was reluctant to buy a machine, b.c I have no other appliances. My possessions are limited to my clothes, books, and other assorted items. A washing machine could be the difference between a moving van and truck when it's time to move out. In addition, the machine needs to fit in a 55 cm wide enclosed, concrete space on one of the porches. When I do move, I might have space for a larger machine and would not want to own such a small one. Finally, I am currently on a 3-month sublease. If the landlady were to increase the rent or if s.t else were to inspire me to move, I can move out no strings attached within 3 months. That's too tenative and unstable to purchase a major appliance. Without a year-long lease, I wanted to keep myself as flexible as possible. Basically, purchasing a washing machine to own was too much of a commitment for me.
After the second, cross-city hike to the self-service laundromat and a highly positive interaction with my landlady, I had an epiphany. I really wanted a new solution to my laundry, and in light of our positive interaction I would not be moving out of the apartment. Of course it's easier to stay and sign the 12 month lease, and she wants me to stay, too. She gave me the impression that she wanted to keep me (and my roommate as tenants), and from that I inferred that I had good leverage to negotiate her not raising the rent. In addition, she is relatively responsive and attentive; way better than many other landlords. Things are working out in this place, and I was ready to express my commitment to staying by purchasing a second-hand washing machine.
I started by searching Janglo, the Jerusalem-based Craig's list. Since it is an Anglo crowd, most machines being advertised were frontloading, not toploading, and too big for the concrete enclosure on our porch. However, I did find a 40 cm machine being advertised and went to go look at it on a Friday afternoon. After checking it out and finding it acceptable, I offered 350 NIS ($79.06) in order to outbid the previous potential buyer who offered 300 NIS ($67.77). The seller was moving apartments and the new one came with a machine. With her help, we arranged for her mover to move the machine out of her place and into mine. The three apartments, her old, her new, and mine, were all in the same general neighborhood. I gave her a 100 NIS deposit and we drew up a contract.
Even though the initiative was mine and I was doing all the legwork, my roommate and I agreed to split the cost down the middle. If the landlady would not buy our shares from us as we move out, she offered but did not promise, we could either buy each other out or just call it an expense. After our summer subletter moves out, we will tell the new roommate that she has to pay a third of the cost in order to gain use of the machine. This leaves the total cost per roommate at 166.67 NIS (~$37.65). A very reasonable sum considering the convenience of having a washing machine mere feet away.
On Monday the mover came three hours after anticipated, he was coming after her move was completed, with my machine. This was only the second time all year I missed tap class, and was the same week they announced our end of the year recital. (The first time I missed, I was in the US.) The mover was an older man who made aliyah >20 years ago and lived in Laurel when working at the NSA. Always nice to meet a lantzman :) He moved it in, adjusted the electricity, b.c the outlet was for a British and not Israeli machine, and installed the machine. All of this for the cost of 150 NIS (~$33.88), almost half of what the other mover said he would charge.
Title of this entry: Pizza Panini. When I heard that the mover was a single individual without moving buddies, I got nervous that he would not be able to bring the machine into my apartment. The seller of the machine had her BF and other male friends helping out, and I was not providing additional bodies. Also, he was going to come when her move ended, an uncertain time. Not only did I not have friends I could call on, I wouldn't even know what time to ask them to come over. One friend declined b.c he was worried about hurting his back, and I didn't know what to do :( A very smart friend suggested asking the pizza guys from across the street. I've already started befriending them and the head guy on duty said he would be happy to help.
In the end, the machine was small enough that the mover, myself and his dolly were all that was needed to get it to my second floor apartment. But, knowing that the pizza guy would be on call relieved me and made me feel really great. Not only do I have a pizza joint across the street, they are also friendly and neighborly enough to help move major appliances. Their new motto should be:
Pizza Panini: More than just pizza, we move major appliances, too.
A bit wordy, but more accurate about their services.
I relished in the new machine. We first gave it a trial run. The water came out black since it had been so long that those pipes were hooked up to anything... Then, I went wild! Two loads the next day, one in the morning before I left for work and one in the afternoon after I came back. My roommate went next, and then she wanted to do her second load. However, the machine broke in between her loads! Our glory was short-lived. The loads that the machine ran came out fine, but now it would not start anymore.
I called the seller, who had it for five years and never got it repaired. I asked her to come look at the machine; we needed to meet anyway so that I could pay her the balance of the sale.
She brought her BF who installed it for her and is something of a plumber. He could not figure it out, but could not eliminate the electricity as the problem b.c of the weird, British plug/outlet. He would come back the next day to test the electricity. If that was not the problem, we would call a repairperson and she offered to take that expense off the cost of the sale.
Later that same evening a friend came by and offered to check out the machine. He inspected it and guessed that the latch where the exterior door closes was jammed and was not detecting the door as closed. If it thinks the door is not there, the machine won't run. He fixed it and I was elated. I promised that we would be friends for a very long time. (Alas, we don't actually talk anymore; apparently, it takes more than a common interest in a washing machine to sustain some friendships.)
After another successful set of loads, I called the seller back, telling her that the machine was consistently working and that I would pay her the balance of the sale price. We set a time to meet, I paid her, and the machine stopped working the next day :( For a machine that never broke in five years, we were having a whole lot of trouble. My friend came back, and said that he would return the next day to verify the electricity. The electricity tested as fine and he could not fix it this time. (I did not hold it against him.) I called the seller and told her not to spend the sale money since we were calling a repair guy.
In the end, it was the same problem all along. The sensor was not detecting the door as closed. The manual fix my friend did was temporary and the repair guy crossed the wires so now the machine is fooled into thinking that the door is always closed. The door has been sitting on top of the enclosed concrete spot that houses the machines since it arrived. (There are two interior doors that close in addition to this exterior one.) Cost: 160 NIS (~$36.15) for 10 minutes of repair work that required no real tools. But, he was also the only one who could fix it.
Since then, the machine has been working with no problems. I met the seller, and she repaid us the 160 NIS.
Conclusions:
**This seller is really a wonderful person. It was a private sale with no guarantee, but she was very ethical and honest in her dealings with us. She really went beyond the call of duty.
**Having a friend who can fix things, like washing machines, broken light switches, etc. is great.
**Owning a washing machine has drastically improved the quality of my life. I no longer have to calculate my clothes, waiting for the dirty pile to grow in order to earn the day trip to the laundromat. I also don't have to buy emergency clothes b.c I can't coordinate my trip to the laundromat precisely enough with the depletion of my clean clothes.
**Finally, the guys at Pizza Panini totally rock. Where else can you find pizza guys who are happy to help a neighbor move a washing machine?
